The creation of the Network is a joint initiative of the Development Centre of the Vardar Planning Region, 8 municipalities, the branches of the economic chambers of commerce, artisan association and associations of citizens in the planning region. The official establishment and functioning of the Network was supported from technical and financial aspect by the Skopje Office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Development Centre of the VPR and the 8 municipalities in the region.

The Network is joint working body established pursuant to the Law on Inter-Municipal Cooperation and the decisions adopted by the councils of the 8 municipalities in the region. The establishment of the Network is in compliance with the adopted measures in the three-year Action Plan for implementation of the National Strategy for equal regional development and the five-year Development Program of the Vardar Planning Region.

The Network’s Mission is the strengthen the coordination of the programming and implementation of measures and activities for supporting the public, private, and the non-governmental sector by creating conditions for development of strong and competitive economy of the VPR, which will offer better employment opportunities and at same time achieve the social and economic standards. Through its activities the Networks envisages to reduce the effects of the noticeable unemployment and migrations rates as key socio-economic challenges in the Region.

The Inclusive Development Network of the VPR should play a key role in the strengthening of the capacities of the public, private, and civil sector for collaboration and coordination while performing the priority activities, and for encouraging all stakeholders in the local communities to take active part in the operation of the local institutions concerning the priority issues for regional development. The Network will also works on the so called “bottleneck” problems, such as the low capacity for absorbing funds requiring better institutional forms of cooperation, thus supporting the Development Centre of the VPR in the coordination and channelling of the investments within the Region.

Table: 17 current members of the Network

One representative from the organisation units for local economic development in the municipalities and the Development Centre of the VPR:

One representatives from each of the stakeholders:

§Development Centre of the Vardar Planning Region

§Municipality of Veles

§Municipality of Kavadarci

§Municipality of Negotino

§Municipality of Sveti Nikole

§Municipality of Demir Kapija

§Municipality of Čaška

§Municipality of Lozovo

§Municipality of Gradsko

§Municipality of Rosoman

§Economic Chamber of Commerce – Regional Chamber Veles

§Macedonian Chambers of Commerce – Regional Chamber of Artisans

§The Business Community not represented the chambers of commerce

§Tourism Bureau – Negotino

§Centre for Education and Networking in Tourism – Demir Kapija

§Representative of the NGO sector

The Network members shall be appointed by the mayors of the municipalities in the VPR, whereas the other members shall be appointed by the management bodies of the respective institutions/organisations. The NGO representative in the VPR shall be elected by the NGOs during a meeting organised for that purpose. The Working Body may hold a session in case majority of the members of the working body are present at the session (at least 9 members) and shall adopt decisions with a majority vote of the attending members. For its operation, the Working Body shall be accountable before the mayors of the concerned municipalities and shall inform them thereof with regular reports on the operations. The semi-annual reports on the operations of the Working Body shall be submitted also to the Development Council of the Vardar Planning Region.

The head office of the IDN and VPR shall be located in the old premises of Radio Veles and will also be used as head office of the branches of the chambers of commerce and the citizens’ association which are represented in the Network.